Local government in Scotland is top-down and distant – but we can change that If there was once a connection between elected councillors in Scotland and the communities they supposedly represent, this has long since fallen away. City halls are often worlds apart from the communities within their apparent... Posted 01 Jan 2019
Five New Year’s resolutions ministers should be signing up to If 2018 has shown us anything, it’s that the debates over the state of our democracy are as crucial as ever. From the Cambridge Analytica scandal to the controversial ID trials at the local elections,... Posted 31 Dec 2018
There’s a way through this Brexit gridlock which can unite the country The likelihood of politicians reaching a consensus on Brexit appears to be diminishing by the day – to consternation on all sides. But what if there’s another way? Parliament is split on May’s deal and... Posted 29 Dec 2018
Why the Brexit TV debate debacle shows party leaders must be compelled to take part There was a story noticeably absent on the front pages on Monday: Sunday night’s Brexit TV leaders debate. That’s because – for all the valiant efforts of broadcasters, there wasn’t one. The past month has... Posted 12 Dec 2018
The Burns Report – Where Are We One Year On? Mariya Green reflects on some of the research undertaken during her placement at the ERS The report of the Lord Speaker’s Committee on the Size of the House of Lords – more commonly known as... Posted 11 Dec 2018
ERS in the Press – November 2018 Here is just a highlight of the coverage our campaigns have received in the press this month. MPs call for end to ‘political gender gap’ at Westminster We coordinated the media for the Centenary Action Group’s campaign... Posted 30 Nov 2018
The future of Welsh democracy? Interviews with Welsh leadership candidates In just a few week’s time Wales will have its next First Minister in place, with a three way race currently being fought by Mark Drakeford, Vaughan Gething and Eluned Morgan. In all the coverage... Posted 20 Nov 2018
Foreign influence, not voter fraud, is the biggest threat to our democracy “Do we need to start messaging ‘widespread reports of election fraud’, so we are positively set up for the recount regardless of the final number?” wrote one Republican businessman earlier this year. “Yes” came the... Posted 12 Nov 2018
The threat of dark money goes beyond Brexit Two and a half years on from the EU referendum, the result is still being discussed and debated. Arguably more important though is another story: whether the rules of the game are bust. The weekend... Posted 07 Nov 2018
Lords lost in stasis as fake reforms go nowhere Politics is often dominated by disagreements, but one thing almost everyone agrees on is this: the House of Lords is too big. At 800 members, we have the largest second chamber in the world. So... Posted 02 Nov 2018